noun
retrovirus
noun
1
A type of virus that copies its genetic material into the DNA of the cells it infects, permanently altering them.
"HIV is the best-known example of a retrovirus."
How to Use Retrovirus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA virus that writes itself into a cell's own DNA rather than just replicating alongside it.
Common pairings
retrovirus infection
human retrovirus
Word Forms
retroviruses plural
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Etymology
From retro- ("backward") + virus, named for its reversed direction of genetic replication.